British police attack 1916 commemoration in Lurgan, Co Armagh

British police attack 1916 commemoration in Lurgan, Co Armagh In a statement Republican Sinn Féin said on March 31:

Today, the mask has truly slipped from the sectarian police in Occupied Ireland. At approximately 12 noon today (March 31, 2018) the British colonial police, the RUC/PSNI attacked a commemoration in Lurgan, Co Armagh, Occupied Ireland.
In their rush to attack the colour party they knocked over an elderly frail woman, and they arrested and assaulted members and supporters of Sinn Féin. Such was the zeal to arrest and attack people concerned with the injured woman they refused demands to call an ambulance or permit some people to attend to her.

The venom of this unwarranted attack shone a bright light on the lie that there is a new police force in Occupied Ireland. It is clear that while they have changed the name, it is the same style of policing, the same anti-Irish agenda that is practised by this paramilitary police force.

The anger on the ground amongst those living in Kilwilkie and Republicans across Ireland in palpable, and rightly so. For over 100 years we have commemorated our patriot dead of 1916. We do so with dignity and we will continue to do so. We call on all Republicans the length and breadth of Ireland to come out and support all commemorations for the remainder of the weekend.

We particularly ask that as many as possible come to the commemorations in the Occupied Six Counties. Let the British ministers, the paramilitary police and those who support them know: we will continue to commemorate our patriot dead, we will continue to oppose the normalisation of the occupation. We know sooner rather than later we will have a United Ireland, a free and fair Ireland.

We would like to take this time to thank our comrades and the community who stood their ground with us today as best they could. We would also like to thanks all of our comrades who have sent us solidarity, please know it is mutual and we appreciate it. Today we can say we seen the strength of republicanism. Do not use this day to criticise fellow republicans but to resist British Rule in Ireland.